Social impacts of family deafness target of Japanese director Mipo O’s new film

By Viola Ke

Japanese director Mipo 0's new film “Living in Two Worlds,” focusing on the life of a child with deaf parents, had its world premiere at the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival. 

In the film, Dai, portrayed by Ryo Yoshizawa, is a son born to parents who are both deaf, and is raised with deep love by them in rural Japan. 

As he grows older, he becomes increasingly troubled by his differences from other people and starts blaming his deaf mother for his daily frustrations. 

At the age of 20, Dai leaves home for Tokyo, seemingly to escape his circumstances.

Life in Tokyo initially proves lonely, but he eventually finds fulfillment working as a magazine reporter and meeting a diverse group of people. 

After eight years, Dai returns home for the first time. Spending peaceful moments with his deaf mother brings back a long-buried memory, unexpectedly resurfacing in his mind.

"Although I engaged in extensive conversations with many deaf individuals during the filming, I still can't truly comprehend what their silent world is like," said Mipo 0. 

"Deaf people have told me that when they communicate using sign language, both parties must maintain eye contact to effectively convey their messages. This understanding influenced the final scene where the main character responds to his mother."

In the film, every time the mother uses sign language, she holds eye contact with the camera to illustrate the real-life necessity of using it during sign language conversations.

"I found it fascinating that they look at each other while signing," the director said. 

Mipo 0 aimed to depict her interpretation of both the silent and the audible worlds in the film's concluding scene. "This final moment also serves as a poignant memory for the protagonist of his mother," she said.

Lead actor Ryo Yoshizawa said the most challenging part of the role was that he had to not only memorize his own lines in sign language, but also had to understand what his scene partner's signs meant. 

Then he needed to react with appropriate facial expressions.

"For example, in sign language, a statement like 'Are you okay?' can be turned into a question through a change in facial expression," Yoshizawa said. "Facial expressions are an integral part of sign language communication, so conveying the right emotion is essential."